


what we have is good, and i just want this to last

by cabinseven (caphrodite)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, During The Lost Hero, F/M, Gen, Late Night Conversations, Like slap in the middle of tlh, M/M, POV Alternating, Past Jason Grace/Piper McLean, idk if that was truly the appropriate tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-10 10:25:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15947441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caphrodite/pseuds/cabinseven
Summary: The Medea Fight had been rough, but Jason's still got a few things to say to Leo and Piper.





	1. Jason

**Author's Note:**

> oh happy, 50th fic, i'm happy to have lasted so long with you wonderful people!!! it's only natural, that my 50th would be a bit of valgrace, but i wrote in jason's pov since i never do that.
> 
> i don't know, i tagged it "gen" because there is bare minimum valgrace, but i could definitely add a chapter and continue if i wanted. basically, this is just a tidbit of a scene that could've been fit in the cracks of a scene, had the pov changed.
> 
> disclaimer: i don't own pjo and/or any of it'c characters or dialogue used that have been used. all rights go to rick.
> 
>  **title:[ _feel the same_ by fcj (ft. chevy)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIeeB4d_O-k)** idk, it's not really related but the song is adorable, and the last line is _"we're meant for each other, this is only the start"_ which i guess, this is the start of jason liking leo oooF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **scene:** So basically, on their quest, the three of them just escaped from a Macy's where they defeat Medea, an ancient princess murderer brought back from the dead because of Gaea. Medea had been charmspeaking Jason and Leo into fighting each other. Piper overcame this, and managed to stop them from doing this obviously. I believe they learn that there's more people like Jason (Roman but they don't know that), and that Medea has a patron, aka "Dirt Face", who helped kill Leo's mom. Ok I think they also found Hedge but that's not relevant in this fic at all. While Medea was pitting Leo and Jason against each other, the two of them had said some unsavory things to each other (explained in fic)... Piper's dad is still missing, and they're on their way to some wind god's place for some reason (To be fair, I didn't feel like reading more of the book at that point.)

Jason should probably thank Piper.

She _had_ saved him and Leo from killing each other. If Leo and he had fought to the death like that crazy Zombie Medea had planned, the Great Prophecy would never be fulfilled.

They _were_ apart of the seven of the prophecy, right? It only felt right. Jason feels it in his heart, however anxious he is about leading a group of six. He trusts Piper and Leo to follow and support him, but would the other four?

In the back of his mind, Jason feels the urge that he was born and bred to lead. He’s not sure why, but the nudging is inevitably there, and he has to trust his gut.

He should still thank Piper though. If it wasn’t for her and her charmspeak, he might not be able to sit here on Festus’ back.

“Pipes, you all right?” Leo asks. Jason tilts his head to look behind at the girl slumped on his back.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Okay, fine.” Leo glances behind at the two of them. “You don’t like any of the names I make up for you. But if your dad’s in trouble and we can help-”

“You can’t,” she groans, her voice getting unsettlingly quieter. “Look, I’m tired. If you don’t mind…”

Piper sighs against Jason’s back and tightens the hold around his waist. She must’ve fallen asleep after a few moments of slow breathing. Jason figures he can just thank her later anyway.

When they were in that mall, Jason’s figured out some pretty important stuff. There were others like him- other demigods with the same purple shirt. Jason squints at the dark sky and the dim trail that Festus was following to reach Aeolus’ fortress. Somewhere out there was an entire group of demigods like _him_. The thought made Jason buzz with excitement.

What were they like? Are they like the demigods at Camp Half-Blood. Something told him a definite _no._ Jason had liked his very short stay at the camp. In about a day -even with the weird looks the Greeks had all thrown him after spewing Latin- he had come to appreciate the small camp. He wondered what the camp looked like during the summer when it’s in it’s prime and bustling with activity.

Since Piper’s asleep, he should say something to Leo too. He doesn’t know about Leo and what the other boy had said, but some part of Jason _did_ mean what _he_ said. “ _You’re annoying, Leo. You never take anything seriously. You can’t even fix a dragon.”_

It was mean, no duh. Jason’s not sure why so much anger was put into his words- they had only really met a few weeks ago, and Jason _really_ likes the Leo he’s gotten to know recently. Cool fire powers, great cook, (very) corny jokes- it’s not that big of a surprise that Leo had originally claimed them to be best friends on that bus at the Grand Canyon.

Still, something about Leo bugged Jason. He was always so- so _extra_. Like he’s putting in unnecessary energy to seem fine and ready for anything. And there was also the thing that Leo had spat at him, under the spell’s influence: “ _Jason’s always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted_.”

Ouch. Did Leo really feel that way? Does Jason take him for granted?

Maybe he should say something. Jason definitely appreciates all that Leo’s been doing for them- if it wasn’t for the son of Hephaestus, he and Piper wouldn’t be alive. Heck, they wouldn’t have even started the quest if it wasn’t for Leo repairing Festus (“ _You can’t even fix a dragon._ ”).

Jason leans forward, ready to talk, but Leo seemed to have other plans. His head bobs up and down, with his eyes fluttering lightly. He must’ve been exhausted from the non-stop fighting. Jason felt tired too- but his body doesn’t feel the strain he might’ve expected. In fact, he feels like he can still take on an army- and maybe he _can_.

But both Piper and Leo are normal. They’re not used to this- not in the same way Jason thinks he is. They both need proper food and rest. Speaking of- when was the last time Leo’s slept? Jason can only remember Leo piloting Festus during the night.

“Catch a few Z’s. It’s cool,” Jason rubs Leo’s back to urge him to sleep. “Hand me the reins.”

“Nah, I’m okay-”

“Leo, you’re not a machine. Besides, I’m the only one who can see the vapor trail. I’ll make sure we stay on course.”

Leo subconsciously yawns, eyelids sliding down. “All right. Maybe just…”

Jason had to catch him, so he doesn’t fall off of Festus’ back. He makes sure that Leo is securely against the machine’s neck, before letting out a sigh.

Great. Now he’s got two sleeping demigods on a mechanical dragon following a magical trail that only he can see. And he never managed to apologize to either of his new friends.

Jason feels Piper moving before he hears her sleepy groan. “Are we there yet?”

Jason chuckles. “Hardly. We’re in Canada though, so we’re close.”

“Cool.”

A silence passes over them when they soar through the clouds. Jason figures now might be a good time.

“Hey, Piper,” Jason says, “thanks, by the way. For, y’know… what you did back there with Medea.”

“‘S no problem.” Piper slurs, warm breath hitting Jason’s neck. “Can’t have my boys killing each other.”

“That’ll probably be for the best.”

Piper sits up. “Did you mean what you said? When you were complaining about Leo?”

 _You’re annoying, Leo. You never take anything seriously. You can’t even fix a dragon._ Jason shakes the intruding thought away. “It was mostly the spell, but maybe a small part of it? But I regret it now.”

“Good,” Piper says, “Or I might have to beat you up. You might’ve been my fake boyfriend at Wilderness, but Leo’s my best friend of all time.”

“Uh,” Jason glances back. “Good to know?”

“And he _does_ take things seriously,” Piper resumes, leaning forward again to loop her arms around Jason’s waist. Her chin sits on his shoulder. “You’d be surprised how dedicated Leo can be.”

“I know.”

“Do you think you would’ve done it? Stab him?”

Jason shivers. He can still feel traces of Medea’s charmspeak lingering over him like a phantom. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing you stopped us when you did. How _did_ you do that, by the way?”

Piper’s hold tightens for a quick second before she relaxes with a shaky breath. “I don’t know. I kind of just kept thinking that Medea was going to make you guys fight to the death, and I wanted to do anything to stop that.”

“Your powers are growing then,” Jason says. “That’s great!”

“I don’t know about that,” Piper says, uneasy.“I don’t want to be like Drew, y’know? Medea was just so- so _evil_ and _controlling_ , and it reminded me a lot of the Aphrodite Cabin being so scared of Drew to talk back to her. It’s terrible.”

“You’re not going to be like her,” Jason rubs Piper’s knuckles. He holds onto Leo’s waist for balance, staring at Leo’s dirty shirt. They all needed showers and clean clothing- sewer sleeping and monster fighting aren’t exactly the most luxurious things in the world.

“You don’t know that.”

“Well, I like _you_ , much more than I like Drew. You’re a lot braver than Miss Afraid-of-Frizz.”

Piper giggles. “Frizzy hair is a natural enemy with the Aphrodite kids. That and chipped nails.”

“Aphrodite can’t _just_ be about looks,” Jason says.

Piper sighs. “Sometimes it feels like that. All the kids are so obsessed with their looks and, like, relationships. I just feel like there’s something more to Aphrodite but no one’s hit it yet.”

“Maybe you’ll be the first.”

“Maybe.”

Jason clears his throat. “Actually, speaking of, how are we? Are we still…” He trails off. In front of him, Leo mumbles something about Zeus being a jerk, scrunching up his nose.

“Oh,” Piper says. “I don’t know anymore. I want to, but _you_ don’t understand why I want to.”

“Alright,” Jason says. In truth, he didn’t feel a lot of romantic feelings towards Piper. There was definitely something there, but it didn’t seem to be what Piper had been wanting. “Do you think we could make it work, though? Even with all that’s going on.”

“I don’t know,” Piper admits. “I have a lot going on. I’ve spent my entire life wondering who my mom was, and she turns out to be this giant princess goddess with all these snobby kids. And my dad’s still missing-” Piper stops there.

Jason looks back at her. “We’ll find him, Piper.”

“I know. I just don’t know if we’ll find him and he’ll be fine.” Piper shudders against Jason’s back. “Anyway. I don’t know about me and you. I feel bad for Leo.”

“ _Leo?”_

Festus makes a clicking whine at the mention of Leo’s name. Piper reaches out and rubs Leo’s back, pushing Jason forward against him. “Yeah. _You_ don’t remember, but _we_ both remember how alone he felt after you and I got together. Actually, I think he was jealous too.”

Jason stares at Leo. The wind plays with the baby hairs curling against the nape of Leo’s neck. He can’t imagine what Wilderness was like. Currently, he’s having bare traces of memories of his other life, but he can’t picture what it’d be like to have _fake_ memories. What’s inside that crazy mind of Leo’s?

 _Jason’s always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted_.

Were they really best friends? How close were they? Jason would like to be close to Leo again- he feels like they’ve got a good relationship going on right now.

“How’d we become friends, Piper?” Jason finally asks.

“What? I don’t know… I think we shared a few classes, and you were Leo’s roommate so we saw a lot of each other.” Piper presses her cheek on Jason’s shoulder. She hooks her arms around his stomach again. “Leo kept dragging you into crazy things with me, and you finally gave up and started coming voluntarily.”

Jason smiles. “That sounds fun.”

“It was,” Piper says. “But I like _you_ you. It’s like I get to properly remeet you.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jason, son of Jupiter.”

“And I’m Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite.” They both laugh until it softly drifts away into the night.

“I think we’re getting closer,” Piper says after some time. “Is Leo up?”

“Not yet.” Jason leans forward to adjust Leo’s position against Festus’ neck. His skin is warm to the touch, the feeling spreading through Jason’s palms pleasantly. “Do you know how me and him became friends?”

“You were roommates,” Piper explains. “You guys just clicked after that. He would always talk about you, and vice versa. Had a lot of inside jokes that I didn’t get.”

For some reason, Jason blushes. “Oh.” He glances at Leo again. He’d like that again. Jason would love to have inside jokes with Leo (and Piper, of course).

“Did I- did I take him for granted?”

Piper hums. “That’s what he said, right? Back in Medea?”

Jason hesitates. “Yeah.”

“I don’t know if you took him for _granted_ ,” Piper said. “But there was always some kind of tension between you two. But that’s something you’ll have to ask Leo about- I have no clue what he’s referring to.”

“Okay,” Jason says. What he would do to have those sacred Wilderness memories that Piper and Leo seem to share… but only to understand. Just to understand what’s going on with the three of them. “Do you think I’ll be able to apologize to him? About what I said? He’s not annoying. Much.”

Piper pats his back. “That’s on you, Jason. But I think everything will be fine soon.”

“And what makes you say that?” Jason’s hands squeeze at Leo’s waist. Could she really tell?

Piper finds that funny. “Duh. I _am_ a daughter of Aphrodite even if I might not like it. Ever since I was claimed, I've been getting good at reading people. But I could be wrong.”

Jason’s mouth can’t stop from curving upwards at that, despite how hard he tries. It’s reassuring to hear that come from Piper. He’ll be on good terms with both of his friends then.

“Cool,” Jason smiles to himself. “Super cool.”

“Hey, Jason,” Piper tugs on his shirt. “Is Aeolus’ castle coming really fast, or are we falling?”

Jason looks past Festus, to find the three demigods falling out of the sky, and _fast_. Underneath them, Festus had grown cold to the touch. Jason quickly realizes that the clicking noise Festus had made earlier wasn’t appreciation towards his repairman. It had been a _warning_ for him being low in battery.

Leo mumbles something about _Wheel of Fortune_ , as Piper and Jason scream on their way down.

Well. Jason might have to hold off on that apology just a _little_ longer. If he doesn’t die, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um, some parts of the beginning are dialogue from the book... the last line of dialogue taken from the book is Leo saying "All right. Maybe just…", and then he falls asleep. During this chapter, it's in Leo's POV, and while he's sleeping, he had just met his dad for the first time and they talk about random crap, tbh. Although technically Jason's thoughts and some of the actions are stuff I wrote in the beginning, it _is_ rick's original dialogue in the beginning so i will totally take this down if needed to. everything past that point of leo falling asleep, is stuff i wrote. (though the ending, in which they're crashing is actually in the book, and i wrote it as a segway back into the real story.)


	2. Piper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Festus crashes, Leo and Jason finally get to talk. Unfortunately, Piper probably felt more of the talk than either of them did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops, accidentally wrote another chapter, smh me. 
> 
> **scene:** Follows almost immediately after the previous chapter in the actual book. After they crash, Festus gets destroyed be lasers, Leo cries over the fallen dragon and asks his father to send the head away. (Later in the book, it's revealed Festus' head was taken back to Bunker 9 to be used at the Argo's masthead.). They're in the middle of Nebraska, i think (?) and standing outside of this giant mansion, with the cages of Coach Hedge and the _venti_. After this chapter in this fic, they're in Midas' house, and he turns Piper and Leo to gold, but that's not relevant to this fic, and is only to give you more context and spark some recognition. The chapter was originally in Jason's POV ~~but he's boring~~ jk it was a cool moment, and i already did jason's pov
> 
> anyway, i played on the fact that piper had previously read an entire conversation literally based on facial expressions between chiron and annabeth, when she barely knew them? so i went to the wikia (a **godsend** , i'm telling you), and aphrodite kids, or at least piper, has "Emotion Reading". anyway, i kind of made her have a bit (a LOT) more than emotion reading? like an actual empath aksssdoisdonsdohj, but it made room for more valgrace and more feelings about wilderness, and gave piper expand on her powers because why not.

Piper hates being a demigod. She always got these weird feelings at random times that were part inconvenient and part intruding.

Her senses since being claimed are frustratingly heightened. Piper had to figure out the fine line between demigod senses and _Aphrodite_ demigod senses. Ability to sniff out a monster? Check. Ability to know which shoes match with which lipstick? Tentatively checked.

Piper’s also not sure what was the difference between Demigod Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite and Piper McLean, daughter of Tristan McLean. Her kleptomania, for instance. Is that because _she’s_ messed up, or because her _mom_ made her messed up?

Regardless, Jason, as it seems, has a good grasp of his powers. He’s showcased them so wonderfully, flying at the perfect times, and moving the wind to his own whims.

Though it _is_ Jason. Of course, _he_ would understand his abilities.

But Leo has a pretty good grip of his own powers too. He has those cool fire powers, and the toolbelt he found. And now, here he was, disabling all the traps set in place in front of this giant mansion.

Is this really the same Leo that Piper had befriended all those months ago? Why was he growing, but she wasn’t?

“You’re amazing, man,” Jason says.

Leo scowls. “Yeah, amazing,” he squats to look at the front door lock. “Can’t fix a dragon right, but I’m amazing.”

This is where Piper’s getting the weird tingly demigod senses. Like a slight pull, she can feel hope and awe emanating from Jason, almost as much as she can feel the bitterness coming from Leo. She’s always been relatively good at reading people but this is _freaky_.

Jason tries again. “Hey, that wasn’t your-”

“Front door’s already unlocked.” Leo’s bitterness doesn’t disappear. In fact, his annoyance goes up a level. Jason’s enthusiasm deflates.

Piper shakes off the feeling and stares at the door. “It is? All those traps, and the _door’s_ unlocked?”

Leo opens the door and steps inside. When Jason tries to go in, Piper grabs his arm. She should warn him, right? She can easily see the two’s tension growing to a point of no return. Jason’s willingness to talk is as obvious as a neon sign. Couldn’t the both of them see that?

“He’s going to need some time to get over Festus,” Piper says. She had felt the small pit of sadness under Leo’s current irritation at Jason- though that way obvious, considering Festus’ charred and broken head had been swept away a few moments ago, and Leo had cried. “Don’t take it personally.”

“Yeah,” Jason says, “Yeah, okay.”

But because Piper _knows_ how Jason feels, she also knows that he is _definitely_ taking it personally. Regret and pity flow out Jason like a river. It’s a shame that Piper can only pick up on his feelings and not his actual _thoughts_.

“Piper, I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad- if he’s in trouble, I want to help,” Jason’s too honest for his own good. “I don’t care if it’s a trap or not.”

How can she tell him? It _is_ a trap, and Piper is willingly walking her friends into it. She loves Leo and Jason, but it’s her _dad_. How can she save him from Enceladus _and_ keep her friends? It’s just not possible.

Piper averts her eyes. “Jason, you don’t know what you’re saying. Please- don’t make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together.”

She steps into the house and lets out a breath. Leo’s confusion settles by the curtains, and Jason’s hope hovers outside. Why did she say that? _We should stick together_. Would they think that as she hand delivers them to their ultimate demise?

The room they’re in is nice, to say the least. A very elaborate chandelier swings softly above them and the life-sized statues against the walls are scarily lifelike. An interesting decorating choice, but not a bad one.

“Where’s the light switch?” Jason asks.

“Don’t see one,” Leo says.

“Fire?” goes Piper.

Leo’s confusion flares out in a solid motion as he holds out his hand. “It’s not working.”

“Your fire is out? Why?”

Exasperation. “Well, if I knew that-”

“Okay, okay,” her head is starting to hurt. Can’t Leo feel anything _but_ annoyance? At least Jason’s sharing a plethora of emotion- he’s currently paranoid which unfortunately plays on Piper’s own paranoia. “What do we do- explore?”

“After all those traps outside? Bad idea.”

Jason glances around the room, cautious. “Leo’s right. We’re not separating again- not like in Detroit.”

Detroit was _awful_. Piper can’t believe she fell for some dumb Cyclopes tricking her with her friends’ voices. Normally it’s _her_ using her voice to get what she wanted (accidentally, of course).

“Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes,” Piper says, “I needed that.”

Leo’s amusement peaks along with Jason’s embarrassment. Piper sighs. At least it’s _something_.

 

After bringing in the cages of the _venti_ and Coach Hedge, the three of them had settled in various places in the room, eating cold beans.

Jason and Leo had both peered around the room- Leo looking for more traps, and Jason just _looking_ \- until they each deemed the place creepy but overall, normal. Their agreed feelings do not make Piper feel any better about the darkness and the odd statues.

She got a bad vibe from them, but that _could_ just be the vibe she was getting from the _venti_ who would not _shut up_ as they viciously whirled around. When she had gotten close to their cages, she only felt pure rage. She didn’t near them anymore after that.

From Coach Hedge, she didn’t feel anything. For some reason _that_ made her more terrified than the angry storm spirits.

Piper crumbles on the sofa, watching Leo silently try to crack the cage open. His toolbelt is helpful, even offering him popsicle sticks, whose purpose baffles Piper. But Leo seems to know what he’s doing, despite his frustration steadily hiking upwards.

Jason’s nervous energy dissipates and gets replaced with a more comfortable sleepiness. She can sense his ongoing thoughts bubbling underneath, but it’s nothing too big for Piper to take alarm to. She only wishes him a good sleep.

Piper, however, is not so lucky. Her own thoughts are plagued with her nightmares of her dad being tortured, and an evil Jane cackling while pointing her manicured finger at Piper.

She tries to ignore those and switch over to more happier memories of Tristan McLean. Back when he wasn’t famous and had more time for her. Piper blissfully recalls of the times her dad used to make omelets on Saturday mornings.

It would be unbearably hot, with the fan swirling mindlessly above them. Piper would sit at the breakfast table, swinging her feet and watching her dad swing around to Elvis. He’d wear this worn out apron to accompany his bunny slippers and _Scooby Doo_ pajama set while whisking eggs by the fridge.

He mostly would hum or sing along to the radio. Piper’s always loved his voice- the deep treble haunts her mind, bringing a smile to her face. Grandpa Tom’s always told her _she_ has a lovely voice, but Piper thinks that it’s her dad who really deserves the praise.

He should’ve been a nightclub singer blasting the oldies to a sophisticated crowd instead of being _King of Sparta_. But if Piper doesn’t save him soon, Tristan McLean might not be able to sing another song _or_ act again.

“Get some sleep,” Leo pops her thoughts. “It’s your turn.”

The statement is directed at Jason. Piper hasn’t spoken in a while and has been getting comfortable on her couch, so they probably thought she was asleep.

Jason breathes in. “Leo, I’m sorry about that stuff I said in Chicago. That wasn’t me. You’re not annoying and you _do_ take stuff seriously- especially your work. I wish I could do half the things you can do.”

Piper can’t see either of them from her position, but she can _feel_ them. Jason’s pleading for forgiveness, with a hint of desperation. Leo’s… his feelings are a mush of complicated that Piper can’t decipher.

“I try very hard to be annoying,” Some sort of twisted glee works its way up to the surface of Leo. “Don’t insult my ability to _annoy_. And how am I supposed to resent you if you go apologizing? I’m a lowly mechanic. You’re like the prince of the sky, son of the Lord of the Universe. I’m _supposed_ to resent you.”

“Lord of the Universe?”

“Sure, you’re all- _bam!_ Lightning man. And ‘Watch me fly. I am the eagle that soars-’”

“Shut up, Valdez.” Piper’s relieved to find both of the bad feelings from Jason and Leo slide away. That’s good progress for the both of them.

“Yeah, see. I _do_ annoy you,” Leo says. He’s more pleased with himself than anything. Jason’s slightly confused but happy as well.

“I apologize for apologizing,” Jason says.

“Thank you.”

Piper settles back into the sofa, getting more comfortable. Leo’s still upset but it’s not directed towards Jason anymore. And Jason’s tiredness is mixing with his yearning for Leo’s attention again.

“Go to sleep, Jason,” Leo instructs, his voice thick with worry. “It’s gonna take a few hours to get this goat man free. Then I still got to figure out how to make the winds a smaller holding cell, ‘cause I am _not_ lugging that canary cage to California.”

California. Piper’s heartbeat quickens. Her dad.

Curiously, the location makes Jason feel content. Or maybe it was Leo talking to him?

“You did fix Festus, you know,” Jason says. “You gave him a purpose again. I think this quest was the high point of his life.”

Anxiousness- it’s practically is pouring out of Jason. Leo’s not as obvious, his feelings flickering from an immense sadness to something more at ease.

Leo sighs. “I hope. Now, sleep, man. I want some time without you organic life forms.”

As Jason slips off into sleep, Piper feels his joy, relief, and state of being pleased. She’s happy that Jason got with he wanted, after feeling his worry about confronting Leo ever since they left Medea.

“Stupid cage,” She hears Leo mutter to himself. Coach Hedge’s cage makes a loud noise. “Stupid cage, stupid lock that won’t open, stupid Jason and his feelings, stupid Coach stuck in a stupid cage.”

Leo’s practically been on edge ever since Piper’s had access to his feelings. Some of that anxiety had disappeared when he admitted to his fire powers. Which sort of irked Piper- why didn’t he mention them before? At least then she wouldn’t have felt like a total mutant who made people do whatever she wanted.

But Piper’s glad that he told her. It makes her feel like her dad isn’t her only family. Which makes her leading Leo and Jason to Enceladus a million times worse. Can she do it? Trade one family for another?

Piper decides to make her presence known. “Do you need help, Leo?”

“Ah!” Leo’s tools clatter to the floor. “Crap. Didn’t think you were still awake.”

“Yeah,” Piper sits up. Leo’s sitting on the floor next to Coach Hedge. Jason’s sleeping on one of the other sofas, snoring lightly. “Can’t really sleep.”

“Am I too loud?” Leo winces, concern emerging from him. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“No, you’re fine,” Piper says. “Just would prefer to be awake right now.”

“Oh, okay.” Leo picks up a screwdriver and goes back to work. Piper watches him in silence, letting Leo do what he needs to do. She’s calmed not only by the good feelings from Jason’s sleepless form, but Leo’s concentration, and her _own_ satisfaction.

After an hour or so, Leo finally groans and thumps his head against the cage. “I’ve been imagining Coach in my head yelling ‘Get those lazy bones to work, Leo!’ and ‘Sleep is for the weak!’ in my head, but even _that_ Coach Hedge started to fall asleep.”

“So go to sleep,” Piper says.

Leo’s head keeps hitting the cage. “I’d rather get the real man-goat yelling at me, than falling asleep to the snore of the imaginary one in my head.”

Piper laughs softly. “ _I_ must be dreaming because Leo Valdez actually wants Coach Hedge yelling at him? This is one crazy dream.”

“Haha,” Leo rolls his eyes. He stops his head banging and lets out a breath. “So you heard that whole thing between Jason and me, huh?”

Leo’s nervousness not only creeps over to Piper faintly, but is more glaringly apparent when looking at the way he twists his hands together.

Piper’s gaze goes between Jason and Leo. “Yeah. Jason’s trying, you know.”

“I know.” Leo licks his lips. “It’s so _weird_ now, right? Jason’s so different from _our_ Jason, that it’s kind of weird to think they’re the same person.”

Piper understands. She _had_ fallen in love with _their_ Jason, after all. It’s not a feeling that can go away easily, but the fact that the two Jasons are different is comforting. There are times that Piper can’t differentiate between Wilderness Jason and Son of Jupiter Jason though, and _that’s_ what’s disconcerting.

Leo sighs. His nostalgia leaks through his words but affection interlaced between the lines. “I miss old Jason, but I don’t mind this. It’s like we’ve been offered this huge reset button by some crazy kidnapped goddess.”

Hera. Piper’s only faintly familiar with her but figures the reason why Jason is here, and that Percy kid is missing must come with a price. Is Leo and Piper being haunted by fake memories of Jason the price they paid? Something tells her there’s more coming, and their suffering isn’t over yet.

The barest bits of sunshine begins to peek through the curtains. Leo continues working on Coach Hedge’s cage again.

“Would you go back?” Piper lays back down again. “If you could reset this entire quest and be back at Wilderness, would you?”

“I don’t know,” Leo mumbles. “What’s there to go back to?”

Resentment. Longing. Anger. Hopelessness. Wistfulness. Exhaustion. Want. All things Leo’s feeling, but wrapped up in a very neat and overbearing bow known as misery. Piper doubts all of that is directed towards Wilderness. Some of it may very well be directed towards her, or towards Jason.

Leo must’ve thought the silence to be awkward because he clears his throat. “Would you go back? Life was pretty good for you- besides the bullying, I mean. You had Jason, your roommate left, and you had good grades.”

Piper doesn’t know if she would want to go back. It’s like Leo said- _what’s there to go back to?_ Everything she loved about Wilderness is either gone (Fake Jason Memories) or with her (Leo). She’s not sure if she would want to go back to living blissfully unaware of the brewing demigod troubles or simply unaware of what _really_ happened to her dad.

“I don’t know either,” Piper confesses. “Let’s just say I’m happy to be stuck here with my two best friends, and everything good about Wilderness is in this room.”

Leo cracks a smile. “You mean your best friend and your not-as-awesome-fake- boyfriend-turned-best-friend.” The barest hint of jealousy but it’s swiftly overshadowed by humor.

“If that’s what makes you happy,” Piper humors him, “Then yes. Love you, Leo.”

It _does_ make Leo happy. Piper doesn’t need her strange demigod powers to tell her that.

With both Jason and Leo’s feel-good emotions emanating from all around Piper, she quickly falls fast asleep. Her dreams are pleasant, running on those good vibes like fuel, sending her subdued memories of her dad’s singing and the three of them running around Wilderness.

Piper would love to just stay in her nice dreams, if only for a little while. And she does- or at least until she’s woken up by the maniac screaming of Coach Hedge.

… On second thought, there might be _one_ thing about Wilderness that Piper would’ve preferred to stay back in Nevada.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also i'm probably going to get sued with how much dialogue i stole XD
> 
> i don't own any of the dialogue up until "...organic life forms." which is like 90% of the dialogue lmAOOOOOOOOOOO


	3. Leo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphrodite doesn't just have a talk with Piper. Unfortunately, she's as confusing as any other god.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm ok, this is the final chapter, i suppose. 
> 
> it's the least like the rest because it has less to do with the actual tlh book, and more with very vague references to the future. i believe that rick hadn't originally planned for leo's death in boo, because everything that lead up to it HAPPENED in boo. so i guess this is more pointing to that event, and the friends leo will make along the way :') lmaooo
> 
>  **scene** : In the previous chapter they escaped from Aeolus' castle and their escape route is them falling out the sky (which is a reoccurring theme with them lol). In the current chapter, Piper has a dream about Wilderness, and her and Jason's first kiss, but then that dream is later interrupted by Aphrodite who makes her promise not to tell the others about it. The dream itself is actually kind of important, as it's where Piper figures out who the patron is (Gaea obviously) and she gets to finally talk to her mom for the first time. After that dream, she wakes up in California at a table with her friends in their get up which is around the time this fic ends. 
> 
> anyway if you came for any potential valgrace, i lied, you should just go home now lol XD

Leo has been staring at the most beautiful woman he’s ever met for the past ten minutes, and she hasn’t hit him yet.

 _Wowza_. How could someone be so perfect? Every second he stares, it’s like she gets _just_ a bit more prettier and makes Leo’s heart beat race _just_ a bit faster.

They’re inside a store, one Leo must’ve passed by back at the mall with Medea. Hadn’t the place been blown up? Seemingly unaware of this fact, the woman shuffles through the racks and pulls out clothes, before ultimately curling her lip and placing the items back.

“Am I dead and staring at an angel?” As brilliant of a pickup line that is, he isn’t kidding. After the endless amounts of mishaps he and his friends have been getting into, Leo’s surprised his soul hadn’t just gone “ _Well, we tried, buddy_ ,” and moved on to the next life.

The woman tilts her head to Leo. She smiles and leans over to pinch Leo’s cheeks. “Aw, you’re adorable, Leo. No wonder my daughter and the other child have taken to you.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, lady.” Leo backs up, rubbing his face. “How do you know my name? You’re not some crazy monster, are you?”

She laughs at him. “I know many things. Your name is just one of them.” Her hair floats around her like a beautiful halo, as she turns back to her rack of clothing. She pulls out a white ball gown and hugs it to her body. _Man_ , she’s good-looking.

Leo snaps his fingers. “You’re Piper’s mom, aren’t you? The pretty lady from the shell. Aphro-something.”

“Aphrodite,” the goddess corrects. She frowns at the lacing of the dress’ neckline. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know,” Leo says. “Where are we? What happened to my friends?”

“They’re fine,” Aphrodite must’ve decided the dress to not fit her standards because she puts it back. “You’re dreaming, child. As well as Piper and Jason, both of which I’m talking to right now. But don’t tell.” She winks.

“Uh,” Leo follows her down the row of clothes. Aphrodite’s wandered herself into the male section, examining a shelf of ties. “How are you talking to- actually, nevermind. Don’t want to know.”

His dad had mentioned something like that earlier when Leo questioned how he had so many kids in close proximity. Hephaestus had spouted something about being a god and being in multiple places at once. It sounds… confusing. _Very_ confusing.

“How are you feeling, Leo?” Aphrodite holds a tie to Leo’s neck. “The transition from a normal life to being a demigod is a tough one.”

“Lady, if you knew anything about me, you’d know I was never normal.” Leo jokes, but the joke falls flat and leaves an awkward silence between the two.

Aphrodite coughs, holding up two ties. “Which do you like more?” The tie in her left hand is a bright yellow the color of sunshine. The right hand tie is a sky blue.

Leo picks the right. The love goddess hums her approval.

Aphrodite continues down the aisle, stopping by the belts. “You know, it’s okay to ask me questions. Not too many- I can’t spoil things too much. Feel free to talk about whatever you please.”

Leo didn’t have anything to ask her, but now that the goddess offered, his head began to swarm with probing questions. He starts off with something simple, however: “What are we doing?”

“Shopping, isn’t it obvious?” Aphrodite says. “There’s a wedding I need to get to and I _have_ to make a good entrance. People will talk for the next century if I don't look perfect.”

“What?”

Aphrodite pushes a shirt and dress pants into Leo’s arms. She points to the back of the store, where a blinking DRESSING ROOM sign hung over a doorway. “Be a dear and try this on.”

Too shocked to fully understand what is happening, Leo listens to the pretty woman’s directions. Aphrodite follows along, picking up jewelry on her way there. When he looks back at her, quizzically, Aphrodite just smiles and waves him forward.

Leo slips into a dressing room and begins to change. “Do you know who this patron chick is that everyone is talking about?”

“I think that’ll be something you demigods will have to figure out among yourself,” Aphrodite says. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to tell you.”

“I mean, if you _did_ tell me, I won’t snitch,” Leo says. He stares at himself in the mirror. Aphrodite had given him pinstriped pants and a white collarless shirt. It looks odd with his ratty sneakers and messy hair.

He steps back out and catches his breath. Aphrodite’s wearing a new gown- one of rainbow colors that glitter at every angle, with a gorgeous diamond necklace marked with a CLEARANCE tag- and it’s truly no wonder why she’s the goddess of beauty. Oddly, Leo can see parts of Piper in her- it’s like Aphrodite reminds him of _Piper_ , not the other way around. He also sees parts of Jason- she has Jason's eyes and lips. 

As if she knew what he was thinking, the goddess smiles. “Love comes in many forms.”

“Right,” Leo nods. He sticks his hands in his pocket, feeling rather lackluster next to the goddess. It’s hard to compare plain ol’ him to the most beautiful person ever. “Uh, and since we’re on the topic, am I gonna see Thalia again?”

Leo’s _so_ lucky that they got to meet Jason’s sister. Well _yeah_ , it’s great those two had their little reunion after years but still, Leo couldn’t just ignore the more important fact that Thalia is a total babe. _Smoking_ _hot_ (and Leo would know a _lot_ about being smoking hot). It sucks that she’s sworn off men, but hey. It’ll be a doomed romance.

“Eventually-” Aphrodite stops him before he can let out any victory whoops, “but I wouldn’t say you two will hit it off in the way you’re hoping.”

“Aw. Major bummer.” Leo deflates. “So much for Mrs. Thalia Valdez. Or maybe it’ll be Grace-Valdez. Mr. and Mrs. Grace-Valdez? Does that have a ring?”

Aphrodite laughs. “Oh, Leo, you’re precious. Grace-Valdez is what you want?”

Leo blushes, feeling oddly embarrassed. She couldn’t possibly- no, Leo had buried those thoughts away a _long_ time ago. “Nah. A bad boy like me can’t get tied down with something like marriage.”

Still. He’d like to think he’ll get married one day. He remembers sitting with his mama wondering why she wasn’t married like everyone else’s parents. He remembers her going _, ‘Not everyone marries who they love,_ mijo _. It’s complicated- love is_ muy loco,’ in response to his questions. At the time it satisfied five-year-old Leo, and now he knows enough to understand why. Kind of hard to marry a Greek god.

But it’s still marriage. He always pictured getting some nice girl and settling down back in Texas. Maybe opening a shop and working on cars throughout the hazy and humid days. Coming home to a nice meal and a kiss on a cheek. Just having the security and knowing that there’s someone _there_ for Leo when the day is done.

Maybe he can get that without getting married. Aphrodite seems to find the idea funny, anyway.

“Do you mind?” Aphrodite turns around and lifts her hair. Her zipper in the back of her dress is undone, showcasing an unblemished and soft-looking back. Leo’s fingers tremble as he zips her up. “I would not worry about your love life if I were you. There are much more prevalent things to focus on. We are approaching a dangerous war, and I can picture _both_ sides having severe casualties.”

Leo shivers at that. “Nothing _too_ severe, I hope.”

Aphrodite drops her hair and turns to Leo. Her eyes are dark- filled with pain and terror. It reminds Leo of the story of Romeo & Juliet- how a simple love can turn so dark and deadly so easily. She then grabs Leo’s hand and her face softens. “Let’s not worry about that now. It’ll come when it comes. _Do_ remember that one cannot escape fate.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Now, let’s see about some accessories for you. Maybe some new shoes as well- those sneakers need to be incinerated.” Aphrodite drags Leo along throughout the store. Her hand is warm and familiar- it feels like Leo’s six again, being pulled around by his mama again. They would run around stores (often _Leo_ doing the running, and his mom doing the _chasing_ ) and sing along to any of the music playing from the store stereos.

“What’s going to happen to the rest of my clothes?” Leo gestures towards the dressing room, where his jeans and army jacket lie discarded, on the floor. His toolbelt still fits snugly on his waist.

Aphrodite shrugs. “Donations. That’s normally what I do with all my clothes.”

“Charitable _and_ pretty,” Leo says.

“You’re a charmer, Leo, you truly are.” Aphrodite plops a hat on Leo’s head. She looks him up and down, analyzing every single detail of his body. Leo shifts under her gaze.

“Can’t you just do some pretty mumbo-jumbo like you did with Piper?” Leo asks. “Do a little _POOF!_ and then I’m pretty?”

“Magic should not be taken lightly, child. Everything comes with a price.”

“Would the price be being too handsome for my own good?”

Aphrodite gives Leo a strange look. “The world may give you easy solutions but that does not mean you have to take them. Sometimes you do, and sometimes you do not. Is this making any sense to you?”

“Uh, don’t take the easy way out?” Leo shrugs. He had been staring at Aphrodite and the way her body curves and moves so fluidly.

Aphrodite smiles. “Though I find that there _are_ some situations that a shortcut can be taken. When you wake up, you’ll have a lot of answers.”

“Cool,” Leo says. “Love me some answers. To, uh, _questions_. Questions that need answers. Got it.”

“I believe we have more time,” Aphrodite looks up, head tilting as if she’s listening to someone who isn’t there. The store is and has been completely empty, sending creeping chills down Leo’s back. “Is there anything more you need to ask me? It is not often you get such a chance.”

“Will I lose this pimple?” Leo points to his forehead. “Since you’re the one in charge of beauty, I might as well ask.”

Aphrodite rubs her thumb over it, like a fussy mother wiping away the results of a messy child. She raises an eyebrow and pulls away. “Pimples are a temporary thing. You’re only a teenager so it’ll go away in time.”

“For some people it doesn’t.”

“I can assure you that _yours_ will disappear.” Leo grins at that.

Aphrodite glances towards the rows of watches. “Time is running out. I do want to leave you some imparting love wisdom to avoid any problems down the road. On account of you being such good friends with my Piper.”

“Oh _yeah_. I don’t think she likes being your kid that much.”

Aphrodite sighs. “She’ll come to. Being one of my daughters is always harder for girls like Piper. I’ve seen how my children act at camp, and hopefully, Piper will lead the way.”

“Are you confirming Drew’s a pain or…?”

“I would never say that about _any_ child of mine,” Aphrodite presses her lips together. “And I advise you to avoid speaking ill of a demigod to their parents or to their own faces. My children especially can be very dangerous.”

Leo doubts that. What’s the worse they can do- tell him his outfit clashes? But with the way Aphrodite defends her family, Leo suddenly feels _very_ afraid of Cabin 10. Piper wouldn’t hurt him, at least. Leo trusts her.

Aphrodite holds suspenders out to Leo. “Do you think you’re ready for danger, Leo? You’re about to hit a perilous crossroad, and you’ll have to make difficult decisions that can change your fate.”

Hadn’t she said that _one cannot escape fate_? Now she’s saying Leo can _change_ his fate? Gods are too confusing. They should just stay up in Olympus with their giant HDTVs and dumb pegasus. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Leo says. “Hey, it’s not every day you get to risk your life saving the world.”

“Your life is not a joke. There are people who’ll love you enough to tell you that one day.”

Leo averts his eyes.

Aphrodite lifts his head with her fingers, eyes probing Leo’s own. It’s like she can read his thoughts. “You know- love can come in many forms.”

His cheeks grow warm. The familiar flames within him begin to ignite. Leo can’t get too excited though. If he were to burn Aphrodite, he’ll definitely regret it. “Okay. I think you said that earlier, but okay.”

Aphrodite smiles, releasing him. “You’ll find what you’re looking for one day. Love can come from the most uncertain places- and when it comes you might not expect it.”

“Are you saying someone’s in love with me?” Leo grins. Maybe it’s that Khione chick coming back for more. What can he say? The ladies might say _go away, weirdo_ , or _Ew! It’s that guy!_ but they always come back for their second dose of the Leo charm.

“I’m saying to be open-minded.” Aphrodite passes Leo the suspenders. “You love Piper, and you love Jason, though in different ways-”

“ _What?_ ” Leo interrupts with a red face. Aphrodite raises an eyebrow. Right. Love goddess who knows all. Oh man.

Aphrodite laughs. “You’ll know when you’ll know, child. Let’s say there’s a lot of love coming towards you but you’ll have to interpret it all yourself.”

“Does that mean-”

“Nuh uh,” Aphrodite shakes her head. She holds her hand over her necklace, tracing over the diamond sitting on her collarbone. “I think I’ve said too much.”

“You, like, definitely didn’t- being all cryptic and stuff. But you’re a god so you’re supposed to be that way.”

“That… may have some truth to it.”

Leo snorts. “Charitable, pretty _and_ funny- what can’t you do? And you’re the mom of one of the most awesome people in the world? You’re a _quadruple_ threat.”

Aphrodite kisses Leo on the cheek. It burns but in a _good_ way. Leo’s knees get weak and his heartbeat increases. “Focus that positive energy towards yourself and you’ll be fine. I believe our time is up now. I’m sorry for this part. I’ll send you a little gift to help you see the way.”

The goddess then presses _down_ on her necklace like a button, and the floor under Leo caves in. He falls through the black, screaming his lungs out.

His world then slams into focus, and Leo grabs the table in front of him.

“Falling!” He hollers. “No- not falling. Where are we?”

Jason blinks with a yawn. For a second he smiles at Leo, before choking when he sees Piper. Leo is not only surprised that he _kept_ his outfit from his dream with Aphrodite, but also the fact that Piper seems to have gotten the makeover treatment again.

She’s wearing a bluish dress with black leggings and boots, along with a chiming charm bracelet around her wrist and a jacket that Leo’s never seen before but both look worn.

They're sitting outside of a sunny cafe, with palm trees and energetic strangers walking by. Coach Hedge looks disgruntled by the sunlight, and both Piper and Jason look cranky from sleep. 

Piper takes out her knife and examines herself. “It’s nothing. It’s my- it’s nothing.”

“Aphrodite strikes again, huh?” Leo says, referring to both of their wardrobe changes. “You’re gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen.”

“Hey, Leo,” Jason grabs his attention with a poorly concealed snicker. “You look at yourself recently?”

“What...oh.” Compared to how he looked in the store next to Aphrodite, he now looks less like a fashion guru and more like a copycat red carpet disaster.

Piper shares the sentiment. “God, Leo. I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the toolbelt.”

“Hey, shut up!” Leo realizes he’s now wearing sunglasses. He nearly laughs but doesn’t for fear of his friend thinking him to be crazy- well, crazier than he already is. _I’ll send you a little gift to help you see the way_ , is what she said. Piper’s mom is _hilarious_.

At the thought, Leo feels a tug in his pocket. While Piper and Jason talk, Leo peeks under the table, feeling the rough and faded paper in his hands. He didn’t have to open it to know what it was. His old crayon doodle of some boat he imagined in his childhood.

It must be important if _both_ Aeolus and Aphrodite had wanted him to keep it. Leo has a sinking suspicious why.

Across the table, Piper eyes Jason and Coach Hedge. Hedge is a… _"dainty pastel flower"_ is what Leo would use to be respectful. Jason looks very Jason-like.

Leo suddenly grows hyper-aware of the fact that both Jason and Piper are very attractive people. _You love Piper and you love Jason, though in very different ways._

Dang it. He should make a list. Charitable, pretty, funny, awesome and _very_ right. Leo can practically picture the goddess’ smile. Prophetic, maybe?

Piper mentions her father and it hits Leo that _this_ is his life now. Going on quests, meeting funky and abstruse gods, waking up in strange places. Not knowing if he’ll make it to the next day is terrifying, but it sets a fire under his belly. (Not a real one- he checked.)

_The transition from a normal life to being a demigod is a tough one._

Understatement of the year. Leo cracks a grin at Jason and Piper. Jason gives a soft smile back- his eyes can’t meet Leo’s but it’s good enough- and Piper mirrors his wide grin. Under the table, Jason’s foot curls next to Leo’s and Piper squeezes his hand.

They’ve totally got this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. it's totally canon that leo had a crush on jason in wilderness but ignored it when his best friends got together, ITS TOTALLY CANON OK
> 
> hmm.... wonder what aphrodite said to jason, oh well
> 
> my favorite thing is aphrodite saying "don't worry about your love life" but then later saying "ok i'll give you some love wisdom" cause a girl can't help herself XD.... but im also angry because aphro says "Love can come from the most uncertain places- and when it comes you might not expect it." and leo would most definitely think of this when he finds calypso and she goes from **angrygirl** to **angrygirlfriend** , and leo would go "ah. that's what she was referring to" when it most definitely was not, when she was obvs talking about jason's growing feelings >:(
> 
> As for dialogue used, it's substantially less than either of the other chapters, which probably helps make this one so different. from leo's "falling!" and down, the dialogue is still rick's...
> 
> maybe one day i'll actually write a slowburn where jason and leo actually _do_ get together, instead of this dumb cutesy shit where they're both like "huh he's a really good guy wOw" lol ~~but i would be so bad at slow burn lol~~

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!!!!! it's my 50th ahhhhh!!!!!! ;)
> 
> ooof! have a good day!!!! :)))))))


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